Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY

Welcome to my Central NY Christmas 2012 Trip Report!! My Uncle Joe made this for me in his wood shop and my mom gave it to me a couple of years ago for Christmas and it's still one of my most favorite gifts! Wednesday December 26, 2012 - Dayna and I arrived in Syracuse on Christmas Eve and began prepping for the family dinner, wrapping gifts and spending some quality time at my sister's home. We awoke Christmas morning to freshly fallen snow and the White Christmas I had hoped for! The next day I began by having breakfast at HEID'S in Liverpool, NY. Nothing quite like a mixed double, potato salad, a pickle and a Byrne Dairy chocolate milk to start the day. Or as Samuel L. Jackson might say, "The cornerstone of ANY nutritious breakfast!" A Mixed Double is a frank and a Coney in one roll. Topped with some house made mustard, chopped onions and sweet pepper relish, this was a joyous mess to eat. I do prefer the bun to be buttered and toasted (as many local places do) but I forgot to ask if they do that here. It definitely helps it to hold together right through to the last bite. And in a switcheroo of sorts I went to Mother's Cupboard to have breakfast for lunch! Love it when restaurants have local "for sale" flyers posted. Always feels like a harbinger of good food to come. Thanks Mom! I've tried a number of menu items but today was the day I went in for the half frittata.

A whole mess of home fries getting all nice and crusty on that well seasoned flat-top. I sat at the counter and watched cook and co-owner, Peter, bust out insane amounts of food and at least 4 orders of the full 6-lb frittata. The sound of his spatula flipping, moving, scraping and clanging was somewhat hypnotic to me. I managed to make it through slightly less than half of this half frittata before finally crying "uncle"! Everything really came together nicely in this dish. The broccoli is pretty standard in frittatas and frettas (the slang name) in this region as is the pepperoni. The two things I would change would be to switch out the yellow cheddar for swiss and maybe bacon instead of sausage. I liked the taste of the sausage but I prefer mine to be really crusty on the outside and this was a bit rubbery. And the Italian toast was a perfect complement to scoop up any loose bits that fell from my fork. Thursday December 27, 2012 - While my girlfriend, sister and brother-in-law went to see "Les Miserables" I was able to spend some quality time with my niece at a place called WonderWorks at Destiny USA (formerly known as Carousel Mall). A great place for kids big and small, it was an interactive experience where we could play with a giant Connect Four game, make life size bubbles, look at Dali-esque art, run across a floor piano like the one in the film, "Big" and lost of other cool hands-on experiences. One of my favorites was posing in the spacesuit... and making our names on a giant Lite-Brite board! My niece and I went to the food court for a drink and some Teddy Grahams for a snack while we waited for the rest of the family to get out of the movie. We had a really great conversation and it's wonderful to see how much she has grown and is becoming a little lady. She's 7 years old but some days it feels like only yesterday I was holding her as a 9-month old baby when they adopted her and first brought her home from China. We HAD to stop at Gertrude Hawk Chocolates in the mall to pick up some of their half off Christmas candies. The peanut butter Smidgens are dangerous! I've been a huge fan of these for many years and I could easily eat a couple boxes of these without batting an eyelash. And the dark chocolate coconut custard ones are quite good too! The family was mulling the idea of eating at the food court or possibly at Stella's Diner (a family fave) but I casually suggested checking out The GEM, which is the new incarnation of Doc's Little Gem Diner, which had closed down after a fire but has since been re-opened under new ownership and I've heard good things about it. I love a snowy night! (Apologies to Eddie Rabbit.) Score! Yep. So true. Another good sign is seeing local ad space on coffee mugs. I had been following a blog on the Syracuse.com website for some time: http://blog.syracuse.com/...d_the_winners_are.html The judges recommended the Cheeseburger Breakfast which sounded good to me. The home fries were not in the same league as Mother's Cupboard but they were tasty. I'm not usually a big fan of eggs on burgers as I feel it covers up the flavor of the beef, but it really worked here. The beef was substantial and juicy and the runny egg provided a rich, creamy sauce that just made sense. The cheddar and bacon were pluses too. I don't know who supplies their buns but it was really fresh and toasting it definitely helped it hold up to all of the hefty toppings. Good call, GEM! My sis had the meatloaf & gravy with onion rings. Classic diner comfort food. Dayna had the barbeque burger (medium rare) and they did a proper medium rare with lots of pink juices flowing forth. The crinkle cut fries, while not fresh cut, were just what I would have expected at a diner and were pretty good. Dennis had the meatball & sausage casserole with spaghetti and the meatball was well seasoned and I like the texture. Definitely more than just ground beef going on in there. My niece had pancakes and seemed to really like them. The old Little Gem Diner made their own pies and while the new GEM does not, they wisely get them from Geddes Bakery, a local place in North Syracuse. I've had their pies before at other restaurants and was looking forward to this. Dayna's apple pie was good, though not the best I've ever tried, but clearly homemade. Kelly and Dennis split a slice of Oreo cream which I didn't try (Sorry Cliff! I've let you down!) which they liked. My chocolate cream was just right and that crust was wonderful. Saturday December 29, 2012 - We drove to Rome, NY on Friday to have Christmas with my uncle and their families and had an absolute blast with them! The next day we took Mom out for lunch as it was her birthday and one of her favorite spots is the Delta Lake Inn. A big storm came in which made for some truly beautiful photos. This place had had many owners and names over the years but my family has shared a number of great meals here since it has been the Delta Lake Inn. Fun fact: In print the area is known as Delta Lake but informally most residents will tell you they live in Lake Delta. You can't tell from this photo but the reindeer on the sleigh are moving their heads up and down. And a perfect snowy winter shot of the dam (from our table) where I would go fishing as a boy, go for walks with my Grandma and where I have been running past in the Delta Lake Half Marathon for the last 3 years ("Best half marathon by a dam site!"). I didn't get any shots of the food as the family isn't as into the RF thing as me and I didn't want to intrude on Mom's birthday with the camera. Dayna and I split our meals. We each started with a cup of soup. Hers: shrimp & crab bisque. Thick, rich and brimming with shellfish flavor. Mine: cream of broccoli with ham. Ham was a new twist for me in this soup but it really worked and lent a smokiness to it. I do wish there had been more broccoli in it though. Dayna had the Bourbon Steak sandwich: open-faced grilled steak with fried onions and bourbon sauce on toasted bread. Dayna ordered it medium and it came out well-done but we both really liked it anyway. I had the Steak & Greens sandwich: open-faced grilled steak with Italian greens (sauteed escarole) with melted mozzarella on garlic-buttered French bread. This was amazing! Steak & greens is a classic Central NY sandwich that I never tire of. Ever. And as if this wasn't good enough, there were pickled cherry peppers and roasted long hot peppers on it which brought a lot of flavor AND heat to the sandwich. I'll be back for this one. I managed to try a couple of bites of my Mom's Chicken Salad Ciabatta with cranberry sauce, sliced apples and brie cheese. Yet another winner. Our waiter, Mark, was very chatty (in a good way) and just great. He spoke to my niece and not just to her parents and that meant a lot to all of us. We were so full that we skipped dessert but they gave Mom a piece of cheesecake to go as we sang Happy Birthday to her. No trip report is complete without a doggy picture. This is my niece's puppy, Daisy. She a mix of King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and poodle and she is a love monster! This was the best shot I could get of her as she wouldn't sit still for me! A Billyboy Christmas tradition going back as far as I can remember is a jar of Turkey Joints from Nora's Candy Shop under the tree from Santa. Naturally, I had to stop at Price Chopper, the local grocery store, to pick up a few jars to bring back to NYC. I gave one last night to our friends Doug & Marisa, for watching our kitty, Magik, while we were gone. Turkey Joints are a sugary "bone-like" outer shell covering a chocolate and brazil nut "marrow" center. Making our way back to the train station in Syracuse, we had time for one last stop at Columbus Bakery on Pearl St. Loaves ready to go. Aside from Ferlo's Bakery in Rome, NY, this has to be one of the most bare bones bakeries I have ever seen. All they make here is bread. No pastries, cookies, etc... They've expanded into a deli next door with sandwich specials and other items featuring their freshly baked bread. One thing to note though is that while they do have one 2-top table in there, the place really is just set up for take-out. Meatballs in a heel? I know where I'm coming on my next visit! And some flat bread for the road which is already gone!

That's all for this trip and for 2012. Hope to see many of you and break bread with you in 2013!!

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2012/12/31 11:33:38
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Billy, the grill at mother's looks like a true diner grill should look. Homefried potatoes cooking on the back, everything else put in its place. That grill looks like it has put out many orders of food over the years, what a gem of a place.....Hope you had a great Christmas, I wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year........ thanks for the great pic and report.............pnwc

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2012/12/31 21:42:08
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TJ, thanks! I just made the edit. What cup of pork fat? Buurrpp!!! (wipes mouth) Thanks, tcrouzer! I love sharing the foods of my youth and getting others excited about trying them. ScreamingChicken, I think home fries might be more popular round these parts. They certainly are with me! Wally, Mother's Cupboard is located on James Street near the intersection of Thompson Road. Very close to Exit 35 (Carrier Circle) on the NYS Thruway. CC, I can't imagine a Christmas without Turkey Joints! pnwchef, thanks for the good wishes! Hope you and the family had a wonderful Christmas too and may you all have a truly fantastic and Happy New Year. The grill at Mother's really does produce some great home fries and part of the secret is that Peter does very little to them when he puts them on. He dumps a big plastic bin of chunky potatoes on the flat-top, seasons them with salt and paprika and LEAVES THEM ALONE for about 4-5 minutes, really allowing a beautiful crust to build on the underside, before flipping them. Thanks JoeRogo! I feel as though I am just scratching the surface as I have a master list of places that I have yet to try! hatteras04, love Byrne Dairy whenever I go back home. Not sure if they have it at the stores. Their website says that they still offer 1/2 gallons of various milks so I imagine they would still do the exchange.

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/01 17:48:22
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Happy holidays billyboy. The Turkey Joints gave me a flashback to growing up in eastern Canada. We always had Chicken Bones (made by Ganongs) in the house at Christmas ... a cinnamon candy shell with creamy chocolate inside. Great report as always and best wishes to all my fellow Roadfooders for the new year.

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/01 23:43:25
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BillyBoy, THANX for taking me back to the good old days. Living out here, everything is relatively new. It's great to see old buildings like the Colombus Bakery, Heids and Mothers Cupboard, not to mention dishes that I ate as a younger person like the open face meatloaf sandwich. All the food pictures took me back 50 years! The snow looked pretty but I don't miss shoveling!

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/02 04:03:43
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Thanks from me also, for bringing back memories of the Winters in the late 60's when we lived in Oneida County. One of our fun activities was to drive out 9 passenger Plymouth Station Wagon out onto the ice on Oneida Lake and spin do-Nuts on the race track set up by my H S students. I can never explain the impact of those winters on this California-transplant !!! That was my first teaching job after college...and a real introducion to rural American life, it was ! Thanks again for the flashbacks.

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/02 12:26:11
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Thanks, strongy78! I'm not sure if it's similar to the "white hot" at Ted's. I'm guessing based on location that Ted's uses Zweigle's white hots. HEID'S uses Hofmann "Coneys" (formerly called "Snappys"). They are a pork and veal mix. I like the taste but I prefer the more pronounced snap of a German frank. I had never tried the mixed double before last week and I just had to know...

ynotryme, I was in the shopping plaza on Rte. 31 where Liehs & Steigerwald is located but didn't have a chance to stop in. I think on my next visit I'll pick up some pepperttes and landjaeger!

wookman, thanks for the description of those Chicken Bones. I've heard people talk of seeing Turkey Joints made elsewhere but have never seen any pictures of them. I went to the Ganong website and they look like a cousin of the Turkey Joints!

Foodbme, I was thinking about helping out by shoveling, then my brother-in-law broke out the snowblower. Whew! I really don't miss shoveling either!

Mayor Al, "ON" Oneida Lake in a station wagon? I'm all nervous just hearing about that. I've always had a fear of open water and my uncle used to take his snowmobile out on Delta Lake in Rome in the dead of winter. He constantly tried to get me to ride with him but NOOOOO way, Jose!!

Thanks so much everyone for all of the kind comments! Hoping to do a diner round-up in Syracuse later this year as that area seems to have just about as many per square mile as the state of New Jersey!

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/02 13:02:12
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Great stuff as always billyboy! You will be forgiven for not trying that pie as long as you put one of those mixed doubles from Heid's in the mail A.S.A.P. Oh baby, does that thing look good! I have never been to Heid's, but when I do, THAT will be what gets ordered.

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/09 15:53:29
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Great report on Syracuse. I was up there (in Liverpool and Manlius) between Christmas through New Year's Day. We didn't go out to eat. Not even a Heid's trip, which is the first miss for me in a LONG time.

I went, briefly, to Destiny to exchange an item at Lord and Taylors, and walked through the new section. Interesting, but still pretty bare. The rest of the mall, aside from the color, looks pretty much as it did in 1989 when that place opened.

I did score a huge deal. the sports store there was unloading thier merchandise at 75% off. I got some awesome deals. And unexpected expense, but worth it. If I only had some real cash to spend, I would've bought them out of signed stuff. At 75% off, it would be an easy profit to turn on eBay. But, alas, I stuck to some stuff for my new house.

Really nice report, you took me back there...and I was just there...so it was weird!

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/10 12:52:02
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I like reading reviews of the city I live in, it reminds me about the places I haven't been to in a while, or at all but want to try! Well, with the exception of Columbus Bakery, I go there regularly for bread. Best loaf of Italian in town, if you get one hot right out of the oven it's unbeatable.

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/11 15:44:12
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Thanks, CC. Strongy, they might be similar. I'd be curious to find out if the white hots in AZ are something that have been in the area for some time or if Ted's introduced them to the area. BB, I'll do my best but it'll be one heck of a mess to eat! If you do make it up to Syracuse let me know as I have a few more places for you to check out! Thanks Ann! Scorereader, you were there around the same time that I was there! I'll always call it Carousel Mall as Destiny USA sounds like the name of a strip club to me! Seamus, this was my first visit to Columbus Bakery and definitely not my last. Have you ever tried the Fresh London Broil sandwich at the Second North Deli? Really good stuff. Ditto for their homemade potato chips!

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/14 09:40:44
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billyboy

Seamus, this was my first visit to Columbus Bakery and definitely not my last. Have you ever tried the Fresh London Broil sandwich at the Second North Deli? Really good stuff. Ditto for their homemade potato chips!

I haven't, but it's not too awfully far from my office, and I am a big London Broil fan, so I'm going to have to stop. Columbus is my #1 stop for Italian bread, next in line is Pastabilities' stretch bread, which you shouldn't get without a container of their hot tomato oil.

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/14 12:03:02
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Seamus, you're the 3rd person to mention Pastabilities, their stretch bread and their Spicy Hot Tomato Oil to me. I think it's going on the list for my next visit. I'm hoping to come up in May to run the Mountain Goat 10 miler though I think the Hot Tom will be my post-race reward!

Re:Dreaming of a White Christmas in Syracuse and Rome, NY2013/01/16 10:32:38
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ScreamingChicken, the oil is a little spicy, definitely not what I would call "hot", but has a little kick. You can eat it hot or cold, just as good either way. It's basically San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and spices. I think there's some honey in there too. It was recently on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and they show how it's made. You can buy it online now also. The stretch bread they serve it with is great, good crust and slightly chewy like a good pizza crust. You can even have the oil on pasta... I usually get half house sauce, half hot tomato oil.

billyboy, it's definitely worth a stop. Their bakery is right across the street too, so you can pick up loaves of bread and the oil to go. I only work a few blocks away so I stop frequently. Might go for lunch today. http://pastabilities.com/